Mosul-Haifa oil pipeline
Encyclopedia
Mosul-Haifa oil pipeline led crude oil from the oil fields in Kirkuk
, located in north Iraq
, through Jordan
to Haifa
, and was active in the years 1935-1948. The oil line's length was about 942 km, and it took about 10 days to move oil from start to finish. The oil which arrived in Haifa was distilled in the Haifa refineries
, stored in tanks, which were put in tankers which were transferred to Europe.
The pipeline was built in 1935, during a period in which most of the Middle East as well as the area in which the oil pipeline went through, was under British control. The pipeline was built during the same time another oil pipeline was built which went from the oil fields in Kirkuk to Tripoli in Lebanon.
The pipeline and the Haifa refineries were built by the British as part of the preparations for an expected war, and indeed provided the fuel needs of the British army and the American army in the Mediterranean during the Second World War.
The pipeline was a favorite target of attacks by Arab gangs during the Great Arab Revolt
, and as a result one of the main objectives of the joint British-Jewish Special Night Squads
commanded by captain Orde Wingate was to protect the pipeline against attacks. Later on, the pipeline was the target of attacks by the Irgun
.
In 1948, with the outbreak of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the operation of the pipeline ended.
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
, located in north Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, through Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
to Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, and was active in the years 1935-1948. The oil line's length was about 942 km, and it took about 10 days to move oil from start to finish. The oil which arrived in Haifa was distilled in the Haifa refineries
Oil Refineries Ltd
Oil Refineries Ltd. , located in Haifa Bay, is Israel's largest Oil refinery. Using its state-of-the-art industrial facilities, ORL is capable of refining approximately 9.8 million tons of crude oil per year providing a variety of products used in industrial operation, transportation, private...
, stored in tanks, which were put in tankers which were transferred to Europe.
The pipeline was built in 1935, during a period in which most of the Middle East as well as the area in which the oil pipeline went through, was under British control. The pipeline was built during the same time another oil pipeline was built which went from the oil fields in Kirkuk to Tripoli in Lebanon.
The pipeline and the Haifa refineries were built by the British as part of the preparations for an expected war, and indeed provided the fuel needs of the British army and the American army in the Mediterranean during the Second World War.
The pipeline was a favorite target of attacks by Arab gangs during the Great Arab Revolt
Great Arab Revolt
The Great Arab Revolt may refer to:*The 1916-1918 Arab Revolt against Ottoman rule, led by Sharif Hussein bin Ali*The Iraqi revolt against the British in 1920.*The Great Syrian Revolt of 1924-1927.*The 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine....
, and as a result one of the main objectives of the joint British-Jewish Special Night Squads
Special Night Squads
The Special Night Squads were a joint British-Jewish counter-insurgency unit, established by Captain Orde Wingate in Palestine in 1938, during the 1936-1939 Arab revolt. The SNS comprised British infantry soldiers and Jewish Supernumerary Police...
commanded by captain Orde Wingate was to protect the pipeline against attacks. Later on, the pipeline was the target of attacks by the Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
.
In 1948, with the outbreak of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the operation of the pipeline ended.
External links
- U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan - published in HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
on 25 August 2003